Note – I received a copy of the book from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. No affiliate links were used in this post.
About The Enemies of Versailles
In the final installment of Sally Christie’s “tantalizing” (New York Daily News) Mistresses of Versailles trilogy, Jeanne Becu, a woman of astounding beauty but humble birth, works her way from the grimy back streets of Paris to the palace of Versailles, where the aging King Louis XV has become a jaded and bitter old philanderer. Jeanne bursts into his life and, as the Comtesse du Barry, quickly becomes his official mistress.
“That beastly bourgeois Pompadour was one thing; a common prostitute is quite another kettle of fish.”
After decades of suffering the King’s endless stream of Royal Favorites, the princesses of the Court have reached a breaking point. Horrified that he would bring the lowborn Comtesse du Barry into the hallowed halls of Versailles, Louis XV’s daughters, led by the indomitable Madame Adelaide, vow eternal enmity and enlist the young dauphiness Marie Antoinette in their fight against the new mistress. But as tensions rise and the French Revolution draws closer, a prostitute in the palace soon becomes the least of the nobility’s concerns.
Told in Christie’s witty and engaging style, the final book in The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy will delight and entrance fans as it once again brings to life the sumptuous and cruel world of eighteenth century Versailles, and France as it approaches irrevocable change.
My Thoughts
I’ll admit: after book two I wasn’t really looking forward to the third book in the series. I found I was getting tired of new mistresses and it was kind of depressing to see that on going cycle. However, this book switches it up a little. Yes, there’s a new mistress, but I really enjoyed reading from the princesses of the Court. Also, the threat of the French resolution as the book came to a close added a really neat historical perspective to the story. Even though I wasn’t looking forward to this one, I did want to read it. It was a series that I wanted to finish, so I knew I’d read the book this year.
I love that, as with the others, the book focused on the women. You really get an in-depth look at their struggles, their excitement and their pain. I loved the perspective, even if it was really hard to read sometimes. And I love Christie’s writing style. She really brought Versailles to life.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I definitely recommend checking these out. I’ve always wanted to read French historical series so this was a fun series to dip into.
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
About Sally Christie
Sally Christie is the author of The Sisters of Versailles and The Rivals of Versailles. She was born in England and grew up around the world, attending eight schools in three different languages. She spent most of her career working in international development and currently lives in Toronto.
I’m not sure if I would read this as historical fiction isn’t much my thing, but I have to comment on the gorgeous book cover, it is so beautiful!
Thank you for the recommendation. I love historical fiction!
P.S. Came here through the Peaceful Posse
Thanks for sharing. I hadn’t heard of these until today – this is the second post I’ve seen around the books. I’m glad the third one was better than you thought it might be.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
I’m only in book 1 right now but I’m looking forward to continuing with this series.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
I adored this series, which is odd because I don’t usually enjoy books are well…quite so steamy. They’re just so witty and fun (but also kind of depressing?). I also really appreciated that Sally Christie decided to give a voice to one of the king’s daughters. It was an interesting juxtaposition. (PS. While I still appreciated book two in this series, I don’t think it was as good as book 1 or 3!)